Apparatus for deodorizing vegetable oils



Nov. 8, 1938. J. STEWART ,1

APPARATUS FOR DEODOR IZING VEGETABLE OILS F iledMarch 12, 1938 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 8, 1938 APPARATUS FOR liEODORIZING VEGETA BLE OILS Joseph Stewart, Elmhurst,.N. 'Y.

AppllcatiomMarch 12, 1938, Serial No. 195,449 In Great Britain October '1, 1936 2 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for deodorizing vegetable oils such, for example, as cocoanut oil, palm oil, cotton seed oil 'and linseed .oil.

The invention has for its purpose to provide efficient and economical means for effecting deodorization of vegetable oils by heat and steam treatment of the oil to be deodorized.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention in a duplex deodorizing apparatus or plant, the apparatus being shown partly in vertical section.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, l designates an oil supply tank for vege- 15 table oil to be treated, 2 designates generally a surface type oil heating device, and 3 and 3 designate final deodorizing tanks or vessels. Extending downward from the bottom of supply tank I is an outlet pipe 4 and extending downward from the, bottoms of the deodorizing vessels 3 and 3' respectively are pipes 5 and 5. Pipes 6 and 6' are connected with pipe 4 through a three-way valve 1 and are connected with I pipes 5 and 5 and pipes 9 and li through three- 5 way valves 8 and 8". Three-way valves HI and I0 connect pipes 5 and. 5 respectively .with horizontal pipes II and W which lead from pipes 5 and 5" above valves 8 and 8 into the lower ends of upstanding pipes l2 and I2.

Pipes l2 and I2 extend up above the tops- 40 bottoms or lower ends by suitable heads or plugs l8 and I8 through which extend -Jet devices or nozzles I 9 and I?! for discharging jets of superheated steam upward into the lower ends of pipes "and I2. Nozzles or steam jets it 45 and I! are connected by pipes and 2m to a source of superheated steam (not'shown), and shut-01f valves 2| and M are provided for openingand shutting off the steam supply to the nozzles. I

A pipe 22 opens into pipe it between jet or nozzle l9 and valve l6, and a pipe 22 opens into pipe l2 between jet or nozzle I 9 and valve l6. Pipes 9 and 22 and a discharge pipe it for de'odorized oil are connected by a three-way 55' valve 24, and pipes 9 and 22 and a discharge pipe 23 for deodorized oil are connected bya' three-way valve 24. Inter-posed in pipe 9 intermediate valves 8 and 24 to pump oil through pipe,

9 from valve 8 tovalve 24 is a suitable rotary 50 puinp 25, and interposed in pipe 9 intermediate .valves 8 and 24 to pump oil through pipe 9*} from valve 8 to valve 24 is a suitable rotary pump 25. r v

Adjacent the bottom of and within the vessels 3 and 3 respectively are perforated steam pipes 26 and 26 of known construction for discharging steam downward into the respective vessels: In the apparatus shown, the perforated discharge pipes 26 and 26* respectively are connected by pipes 21 and 2'! to a source of saturated steam (notsho'wn). Suitable shut-ofi valves 28 and 28 are provided in pipes 21 and 21 respectively, for permitting steam to be supplied to and cut-off from the perforated discharge pipes at will.

A suitable vacuum pump and suitable fvapor condenser (not shown) are connected to a suction outlet 29 located at the top of the heater outlets 30 and 30' located at the tops of vessels 3 and 3? respectively. Water vapor, steam, and

I all volatile products released in casing l4 and vessels 3 and 3 in treating oil will out through these outlets. 1

The oil heating device generally designated by the reference character 2, comprises the cas-' in-g l4 having an oil'discharge pipe 3| leading from the bottom ,of the casing, and heating means of the surface type within said casing. The heating means comprises a horizontally disposed oil-receiving and discharging trough 32 which is arranged in the upper part of easing M to receive oil from branches lli of pipe l5 and has in and along its bottom a narrow oil discharge slot 33' having serrated longitudinal edges. Directly under the slot is a. unit for splitting or dividing the wide thin sheet or film of oil descending from the long narrow slot into two very thin descending halves and heating the adjacent or innermost faces of the two halves or divisions of said sheet of oil as they descend toward the bottom of casing 54. This unit is arranged between the trough and the bottom of the casing. It comprises a vertical bank or series of superposed horizontal pipes 3t, each two immediately superposed ones of which pipes are connected by one of a series of vertical plates 35, the plates 35 and the axes of the pipes 34 be sucked lying in the same vertical plane as the slot 33' tending out through a vertical end wall of casing M for connection to a suitable source of supply (not shown) of said heating medium,

and the uppermost pipe extending out through a vertical end wall of casing it for connection to a suitable outlet or exhaust (not shown) for the heating medium. Said lower and upper pipes extend through suitable stuffing boxes 31 and 38 held to the casing I4.

A three-way valve 39 connects the lower end of the oil discharge pipe 36 of the heating device to pipes 36 and 40 which extend and discharge into the upper part of vessels 3 and 3 A back-pressure check valve 4! is provided in pipe extension I3 and a back-pressure check valve 4|- is provided in pipe extension I3 both said valves opening toward the heating device 2 as indicated in the drawing. A back-pressure check valve 42 is provided in pipe 40 and a backpressure check valve 12 is provided in pipe 40, valve 42 opening'toward vessel 3, and valve 42 opening toward vessel 3*, as indicated in the drawing.

The invention provides an apparatus whereby a body of oil withdrawn from a tank I may be first charged into one of the final deodorizing tanks or vessels 3 or 3 to partially fill said ves-- sel as shown, the charging then stopped, the oil in the vessel then circulated from and back to the vessel via the heating device and then without passing through the heating device, and the deodorized oil may finally be discharged from said vessel, provides means whereby, during circulation of the oil from and back to the deodorizing vessel, the oil may be completely deodorlzed by steam treatment, and provides means whereby, during completion of deodorization of oil in one of said vessels, a body of oil from tank I those skilled in the art the operation and adferent stages.

may be charged into the other-vessel, and treat ment thereof by heat and steam for deodorization in and discharge from said other vessel may be started Deodorizing treatment of two bodies of oil may thus be carried on with the deodorizing processes for the two batches of oil at dif- Great economy in plant cost, plant space and plant operation are thus made possible. The apparatus also provides for more eflicient deodorization of the oil, for completion of deodorization in a minimum of time, and for complete deodorization of a body of oil by the use of a' single oil vessel to which oil from a heater is supplied for full deodorization.

The following description will make clear to vantages of the apparatus. To treat oil in vessel 3, valve 1 is set to cut off pipe 5 from pipes 4 and 8 and connect pipes 4 and 6. Valve 8 is set to connect pipes 8 and 5 and cut ofi pipe 9.. Valve I is set to connect pipe II to pipe and cut oil vessel3 from pipe 5. Valve 24 is set to out 01f pipe 22 from pipes 9 and 23. Valve I6 is setv to cut off the heater 2 and the upper section of pipe I2 from the lower section of said pipe I2 and connect pipe H to the lower section-.02 said pipe I2. Valve '2I is then opened-to start a jet of superheated steam upward in the lower section of pipe I2, whereupon oil from tank I will pass through pipe-4,- valve I, pipe 6, valve 8, pipe 5, valve I0, pipe II, lower section of pipe I2, valve I6 and pipe II into vessel 3.

When vessel 3 has been partly filled with oil the supply is cut off and .the vessel 3 is put in circulatory connection with heater 2. This may be done by simply setting valve I0 to cut off flow from pipe 6 via pipe 5 and valve I 0 to pipe II and open tank 3 via pipe 5 and valve II! to pipe II, by setting valve I5 to cut off pipe I! from pipe I2 and to permit oil to flow from the lower section to the upper sction of pipe I2 through pipe I6, and by setting valve 39 to open pipe 48 to pipe 3| and cut oil. pipe 4II' from pipe 3i. Valve '5 may'also be set to cut oli pipe 5 from pipe 4, and valve 8 may be set to cut ofi pipe 6 from pipes 5 and 9. From the body of oil previously charged into vessel 3, oil will now be circulated continuously, as a result of the action of the steam jet discharging into pipe I2 from nozzle I9, via the following circuit: vessel 3, pipe 5, valve I0, pipe II, pipe I2, pipe extension I3, pipe I5 and its branches I5, heating device 2, pipe 3I, valve 39 and pipe 40 back to vessel 3. This circulation of the vegetable oil is maintaineduntil a desired final deodorizing temperature of the oil in vessel 3 is attained, this temperature (as is well known) being generally in the range of 450 to 500 degrees Fahren heit.

From this point the deodorization of the oil charged into vessel 3 is completed without further use of the heating device 2. The completion of the deodorizing treatment of the oil in vessel 3 is eiiectedby setting valve 39 to cut off pipe 3I from pipe 40, and by setting valve IE to cut off the upper section of pipe I2 from the lower section of pipe I2 and to open the lower section of pipe I2 to pipe IT. The jet of superheated steam from nozzle I9 will now circulate the oil in vessel 3 via pipe 5, valve I0, pipe II, lower section of :pipe I2, valve I6, and pipe I'I back into vessel 3. While this last mentioned circulatory steam treatment of the oil may be used alone to complete the deodorization of the oil, it is preferred (for best results) to first so treat the oil with superheated steam and to thereafter shut-01f the steam jet I! by means of a valve 2I and to treat the oil in vessel 3 for a time withsaturated steam discharged into the lower part of the body of oil in vessel 3 through the perforated pipe 26. This may be done by opening valve 28 for a time and then closing said valve.

When the deodorization of the oil charged into vessel 3 has been completed it is withdrawn from the vessel and discharged through pipe 23 to a vessel 3 and pipe II through pipe 5 to valve 8,

by setting valve 8 for flow of oil from pipe 5 to pipe 9 with pipe 6 cut off by-valve 8, by setting valve 24 ior flow of oil from pipe 9 to pipe 23 with pipe 22 cut ofi by valve 24 and starting into operation the rotary oil pump 25 and continuing its operation until the treated oil is withdrawn.

Instead of originally charging oil from tank I into vessel 3 by the aid of the steam nozzle I9, as above described, pump 25 may be used for this purpose instead of nozzle I9, if desired. For this purpose the initial charging would be effected by setting valves 1 and 8 to open the tank I to uum or sub-atmospheric pressure is maintained in the upperparts of the vessels 3 and 3 and easing I4 of the heating device 2 by suction through outlets 30, 30 and 29 resultant from ac,- tion of 'a vacuum pump (not shown) which is connected' with said outlets, as hereinbefora de'-- scribed. Steam, water vapor, andvolatile prodcharged into each vessel 3 or ucts of the oil released by the heat and steam treatments described, are withdrawn through said outlets. Preferably the amount v of oil 3 is such that the oil level in the vessel is below the discharge ends of pipes l1 and 40 leading into vessel 3 and the "corresponding ends of the corresponding pipes I'I and 40 leading into vessel 3, so that vapor, gases and volatile products of all kinds in oil discharged through said pipes are readily, and largely completely, released in the upper parts of the vessels before the dischargedoil reaches the body of oil in the vessel.

The jet of superheated steam discharged upwardly in upstanding pipe l2 by nozzle IS in charging vessel 3, in circulating oil from and back to vessel 3 through heating device 2, and in circulating oil from the bottomof vessel 3 back into the upper part of vessel 3, is highly advan tageous in that the steam helps to heat the oil during both the charging operation and the circulation of the oil through the heating device 2 and also, and particularly, in that the steam jet and pipe l2 provide means for exerting a scrubbing efiect or action on the oil which is highly effective in releasing volatile products from the oil to deodorize the oil, said products being discharged into a partial vacuum for prompt withdrawal of said products.

From the foregoing description of the deodorization of vegetable oil by use of-vessel 3, it will be obvious that a like deodorizing treatment may begiven by use of vessel 3 and that the apparatus provides for carrying on two like processes of deodorization in different or overlapping stages of completion. For example, it will be obvious that, when the process above described and using vessel 3 has been carried to the point at which heater 2 is cutout and no longer used, a like process using vessel 3 may be started. It is thus possible to use heating device 2 more or less continuously and to have two batches of oil in different stages of treatment at the same time.

As the second vessel, and the various pipes, valves, steam discharge devices, and the rotary pump used therewithare designated by numerals similar except for the exponent a employed to-designate like parts described in connection with deodorizing oil in vessel 3, particular description of the use of the apparatus in carrying out the same process to deodorize oil in vesssel 3 is unnecessary. The described arrangement of parts also permits of ready steam cleaning of the apparatus. The heating device 2 not only acts to heat the oil, but also'to release some volatile products therefrom into casing M of the heating device for immediate withdrawal of such released products through outlet 29.

What I claim is: 1

1. An apparatus for deodorizing vegetable oils comprisinga deodorizing vessel having a suction outlet at its top for volatile products, an encased oil heating device having a suction outlet at the top of its casing for volatile products and having in its casing an oil heating means,

means for discharging oil irom the oil heater by gravity into the upper part of the deodorizing vessel above the oil level therein, an upstanding restricted oil conduit exterior of the deodorizing vessel the upper end of said conduit leading into the oil heater casing to deliver oil and steam over the said heater subject to sub-atmospheric pressure in said casing, means connecting the lower end of said conduit to the bottom of the deodorizing vessel, means connecting said conduit to the-upper portion of the deodorizing vessel at a point above the level of the oil therein, means for discharging a steam jet upwardly into said conduit adjacent the lower end of said conduit, and valves for at will causing the oil to flow from the bottom of the deodorizing vessel with steam from said steam jetthrough said restricted conduit to the heater and thence back to the upper part of the deodorizing vessel, or from the bottom of the deodorizing vessel through the said conduit into the upper part of the deodorizing vessel above the level of the oil therein, whereby small quantities of oil with steam may be passed through the heater under sub-atmospheric pressure for the first deodorizing step, and the oil then delivered into the deodorizing vessel and lower part of the deodorizing vessel.

2. An apparatus for deodorizing vegetable oils comprising a plurality of deodorizing vessels each having a suction outlet at its top for volatile products, an encased oil heating device having a suction outlet at the top of its casing for volatile products andhaving in its casing an oil heating means, means for discharging oil from the oil heater by gravity into the upper part of any selected one of the deodorizing vessels above the oil level therein, an upstanding restricted oil conduit exterior of each of the deodorizing vessels, the upper end of each of said conduits leading into the oil heater casing to deliver oil over the said heater and subject it to sub-atmospheric pressure in said casing, means connecting the lower end of each of said conduits to the bottom of its cooperating deodorizing vessel, means connecting said conduit to the upper portion of its cooperating deodorizing vessel at a point above the level of the oil therein, means for discharging a steam jet upwardly into each of said conduits adjacent the lower end thereof, and valves for at will'causing the oil to flow from the bottom of a selected deodorizing vessel with steam from its said steam jet through its cooperating restricted conduit to the heater and thence back to theupper part of the deodorizing vessel or from the bottom of the deodorizing vessel through the said conduit into the upper part of the same deodorizing vessel above the level of the oil therein whereby oil with steam may be passed from any one of said vessels through the heater under sub-atmospheric pressure and the oil delivered from the heater into a deodorizing vessel and then continuously with drawn in small quantities from the bottom of the deodorizing vessel and subjected to steam in the said upstanding oil conduit and the steam and oil discharged directly into a deodorizing vessel above the level of the oil therein.

JOSEPH STEWART. 

